Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2026

Short answer: weekdays, Tuesday to Thursday. Buffer's data favours mornings (about 9 a.m.) for Facebook, Instagram and Threads; Sprout's favours afternoons. No single hour works for every account, so here is each study and how to check your own.

Best time to post on social media in 2026: what each study says

Three large studies are worth knowing, and each answers differently. Treat them as three data points, not a rule. Buffer and Sprout report times in the viewer's local time, so read the hours as your own; Hootsuite's figures are normalized across 118 countries.

Study	Data behind it	Strongest days
Buffer, 2026	Over 52 million posts	Wednesday leads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Threads
Sprout Social, 2026	Nearly 2 billion engagements on about 307,000 profiles, Nov 27, 2025 to Feb 27, 2026	Tuesday and Wednesday; Sunday is the weakest
Hootsuite, 2025 data, updated 2026	Over 1 million posts, across 118 countries	Wednesday at 8 a.m. is the overall best

Wednesday appears in all three.

Best time to post on each platform

Buffer gives one top slot per platform, usually a weekday morning, while Sprout gives wider afternoon windows. Use the two columns below as a pair of starting tests, and keep whichever suits your audience. For day-by-day detail, see our guides to Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Platform	Buffer's top slot	Sprout's Tuesday window
Facebook	Thursday, 9 a.m.	12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Instagram	Thursday, 9 a.m.	1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
LinkedIn	Wednesday, 4 p.m.	11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
TikTok	Sunday, 9 a.m.	2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
X	Tuesday, 9 a.m.	12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Threads	Thursday, 9 a.m.	No data
YouTube long-form	Sunday, 10 a.m.	No data
YouTube Shorts	Friday, 4 p.m.	No data

Sources: Buffer (median engagement per post, local time) and Sprout Social. Hootsuite's summary differs again: Facebook on Tuesday at 9 a.m., Instagram on Monday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., X on Wednesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., TikTok on Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Best days to post on social media

Midweek is the most common answer: Wednesday leads in Buffer for five platforms, and Sprout names Tuesday and Wednesday. Weekends are mixed, because Sunday is Sprout's weakest day overall yet Buffer's top slot for TikTok and YouTube long-form. Plan each platform on its own.

• Wednesday is first in Buffer for five platforms and Hootsuite's overall best day.
• Tuesday and Wednesday are Sprout's strongest days.
• Sunday morning is the top TikTok and YouTube long-form slot in Buffer's data.
• Friday is Buffer's top day for YouTube Shorts and its weakest for Instagram. On X, Sprout rates Friday as moderate, with the best window from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Why the studies disagree

The studies disagree because they measure different accounts, metrics and months, not because any of them is wrong. Buffer ranks median engagement per post, Sprout counts engagements across profiles and Hootsuite normalizes across countries, so a business-heavy sample will not describe a creator's audience.

How to find your own best time to post

Your own best time comes from your own audience. Start with the follower activity charts in each platform's analytics, then post in the two or three busiest windows and compare results. As a practical rule, not a study result, change only the time and give each slot about four weeks. Reddit publishes no official posting times, so see best time to post on Reddit for how to test.

• YouTube: the When your viewers are on YouTube report in YouTube Analytics shows when viewers are online.
• Other networks: use the follower activity or audience charts where they exist, and compare them with your best past posts.

A scheduler saves effort here. SociaHive's content scheduler suggests a time per account, based on that account's own past performance for Instagram and TikTok and on general heuristics for other networks, labelled as such. The free plan covers 30 posts a month on all networks except X. To lay out a month around your windows, use the social media calendar or our content calendar template. Once a post is live, the Instagram algorithm guide and Reels strategy cover what happens next.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time of day to post on Instagram in 2026?

Weekday mornings or afternoons, depending on the study. Buffer's 2026 data puts Thursday at 9 a.m. first, while Sprout Social lists Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Test one slot from each, then keep whichever your followers respond to. Our Instagram guide has every weekday.

Do time zones matter when posting?

Yes, so schedule around where most of your audience lives, not where you do. Both big studies already account for it. Buffer and Sprout both report local time, which means 9 a.m. is 9 a.m. for the viewer. Your platform analytics already reflect your followers' zones.

How long should I test a posting time?

About four weeks per slot is a reasonable practical rule, not a figure from a study. That gives you several posts at the same hour to compare. Keep the format and topic steady so only the time changes, and test longer if you post rarely.

Does posting time matter for YouTube videos?

Only a little for long-term views. YouTube Help says publish time is not known to impact a video's long-term performance, though posting when your audience is active can help early viewership. It matters most for Premieres and live streams. Our YouTube guide covers both formats.

Sources

1. Buffer, Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2026
2. Sprout Social, Best Times to Post on Social Media
3. Sprout Social, Best Times to Post on Twitter (X)
4. Hootsuite, Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2025
5. YouTube Help, YouTube performance FAQ & Troubleshooting